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ISU Research, Innovation, and Creativity Insights

Welcome to ISU Research, Innovation and Creativity Insights, where we explore the transformative power of Idaho State University’s research and creative activities. We talk about cutting-edge research and innovation shaping the future of Idaho, the region and beyond. Join us as we engage with ISU’s leading scholars and inspiring students who are pushing the boundaries of knowledge and discovery. From breakthrough discoveries in science and technology to advancements in the arts and humanities, ISU Research, Innovation and Creativity Insights showcases the array of talent and expertise thriving at ISU. And, we always end with the question, “So What?” Our guests help us understand how their work makes a positive and lasting impact in our community and society.

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Latest Episodes
  • Dr. Justin Dolan Stover, ISU Associate Professor, Department Chair of History, and ISU’s 2024 Distinguished Researcher, discusses the early 20th century history of Ireland and the impact of environmental destruction as a weapon of war. He describes how ISU students participate in his research efforts and offers a thoughtful explanation of the importance of historical research to answer contemporary political and societal questions.
  • ISU Associate Professor Sarah Robey discusses the impact and history of nuclear energy in America. She talks about how the so-called “atomic age” of the past 70+ years has influenced cultural and societal expectations and relationships.
  • ISU Geosciences professor, Dr. Sarah Godsey and current PhD student, Sarah Newcomb, talk about innovative research that impacts food, farming, forests, fish and the future of Idaho’s economy. From the headwaters of the Snake River to the agriculture fields of southern Idaho, water is the key to Idaho’s sustainable future.
  • Idaho Accelerator Center director, Jon Stoner, and two ISU students from the Department of Chemistry, Jacob Egbert and Matt Cannon, describe what the Idaho Accelerator Center is and talk about how they and other ISU researchers are involved in cutting edge research to cure cancers such as sarcomas and prostate cancer.
  • Dr. Cori Jenkins, ISU Associate Professor of Chemistry and Kyler Sayer, an ISU Master’s student in Chemistry, join Marty Blair, VP for Research and Economic Development to discuss innovative research on “green” chemistry. Jenkins and Sayer discuss ways in which the native plants we find in our yards are helping us break down plastics, and how natural plant compounds are being tested and used as adhesives…“green” glue. Sayer, an ISU student, talks about his hands-on experience as a student researcher, and together, Sayer and Jenkins explore how his ISU experience sets him apart from undergraduate research at other universities.
  • More than 30,000 infections each year are untreatable with antibiotics. The only solution is limb amputation or major tissue removal. Sarah Hobdey, an ISU Research Assistant Professor of Biomedical & Pharmaceutical Sciences and Boise Veterans Association (VA) Associate Research Scientist, Anyauba Nmaju, a PhD student in Biomedical & Pharmaceutical Sciences, and VP for Research and Economic Development, Marty Blair, discuss ISU-based research that seeks innovative therapies to address the problem.
  • Thom Hasenpflug and VP for Research and Economic Development, Marty Blair, talk about music as a pursuit of knowledge and discovery. Listening to several of Dr. Hasenpflug’s recent compositions, they make parallels between creative pursuits in the arts and hard-science disciplines such as engineering and biology.
  • Keith Weber has been the Director of ISU’s GIS Training and Research Center for more than 25 years. Marty Blair and Keith Weber discuss the NASA RECOVER program, which provides real time information on wildfires across the United States and fire impact on landscape rehabilitation.